1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hinges for mounting a door to a frame. More particularly it relates to an adjustable, lift-off hinge which enables precise vertical positioning of the door relative to the frame and lift off removal of the door from the frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Vertically adjustable hinges for mounting a door onto a frame are generally known in the art. Some known adjustable hinges, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,580, 5,755,011, 5,713,105 allow vertical adjustment of the door relative to the mounting frame along the pivotal rotational axis of the door. However, the adjustable hinges disclosed in those patents are relatively complex from a manufacturing stand point. The disclosed hinges require the fabrication of two distinct hinge members. Moreover, the mechanism for vertically adjusting the disclosed hinges is limited to a single screw element. A single screw element limits either the placement of the hinge or the ability to adjust the hinge once installed. Also, only the hinge disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,580, allows the door to be easily removed from the frame. p Accordingly it would be advantageous to have an adjustable hinge more suitable for lower-cost manufacturing methods. It would also be advantageous to have an adjustable hinge which allows the door or other attached object to be easily removed from the frame. It would be further advantageous to have a more versatile adjustable hinge designed such that vertical adjustments can be made from more than one location on the hinge.
An improved vertically adjustable hinge incorporating the foregoing advantages would be a significant advance in the art.